NYLON - June 2008 - (Page 64) CLASS ACTION CO ON A TRIP TO THE NIKE HEADQUARTERS IN PORTLAND, OREGON, DANI STAHL LEARNS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO ‘JUST DO IT.’ PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHLOÉ RICHARD I’m a New York City girl through and through—the Gossip Girl type. So when it was time for me to go to college, I wanted to do it at a university with the typical spawling campus, but I only lasted a semester (at the University of Colorado) before I raced back to the city to attend NYU. I was thrilled, though, at the prospect of a second chance to relive something close to a true college experience when Nike asked me to visit their headquarters/campus in Portland, Oregon. I arrive in Portland on a Sunday night. It’s a long flight but I’m excited to visit the town that Nike helped build. My first stop is at the oh-so-hip Ace Hotel located in downtown Portland. I venture to my room, which has a shower next to the bed and walls painted with ginormous life-size figures of men giving instructions on how give the perfect knock-out punch. And yes, I try out my boxing moves in the shower. After luxuriating for about an hour, I find my trusty friend Josh and we decide to check out the nightlife. Portland feels like the ultimate college town. Bars are filled with underage dudes watching the game, drinking beers, and chillin’. This is exactly what I had anticipated, and I’m stoked Nike invited me—and press from around the world—to be the first to see all of their new initiatives. I have two long days ahead of me, so I head back to get some beauty sleep. I want to start my first day of school, I mean, Nike orientation, fresh. The bus picks us up at 7 a.m. and we’re off. We get to our destination and I step onto a cobblestone path, gaze at the lush green grass, and take in the clean air. We walk into the Tiger Woods building and head towards the auditorium where part one of the seminar is taking place. I so feel like a frosh. factory girl clockwise from top: arriving at nike headquarters in portland; demetria white (media relations manager) and i chat it up before returning to the seminar; checking out the new air force ones which nike designed with artist pedro winter; so many nikes, so little time.
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